Solar-Terrestrial Physics

In the past decades, it became
clear that the life on the Earth, from
the pure biological aspects to the functioning of global technological
systems, depends heavily on the ever changing parameters of space
environment.

The Sun, which is the main
source of energy and disturbance propagating
through interplanetary space to the Earth, the heliosphere formed by
the outflowing solar plasma with the frozen-in interplanetary magnetic
field, and the near-Earth space limited by the geomagnetic field are
parts of the intricate and highly variable Sun-Earth system. We live
inside this system, and the variety of processes in it affect us
directly.

Investigation of the Sun-Earth
system and related physical processes is
the fundamental task of solar-terrestrial physics. An important problem
is also the development of forecasting techniques aimed at preventing
or diminishing the damaging effect of the solar and geophysical
disturbances on human life.

The program of scientific
research in the field of solar-terrestrial physics at IZMIRAN comprises
the following studies:

The Sun as the source of energy and disturbance

Interplanetary medium and inner heliosphere (including the
propagation
of disturbance from the Sun to the Earth, dynamics of the solar wind,
and its interaction with the Earth’s magnetosphere)

The ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling

The effect of solar activity on the upper (h>120 km) and
middle (h~12-120 km) atmosphere of the Earth

The effect of solar activity on weather and climate

The effect of space factors (solar periodicity, solar and
geophysical
rhythms, geomagnetic disturbances) on the biosphere and the man

The effect of space factors (solar and geophysical
variations) on engineering facilities and complex technological systems.